[yardhauntjunkie]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good tutorial for adjusting the reset time on floodlight motion sensors (like the kind you can buy at home improvement stores). I have tried searching for a tutorial on this subject, but then realized someone here might know where to find one. I have seen people mention that they hacked motion sensors to adjust the on time and the reset time so that they didn't have to use the "test" setting, which just turns the prop on continuously or stays on for 5 seconds. I did mine this way last year and it was on so much it burnt out one of my props.

I have seen what I am talking about for sale, but they always look like someone bought a motion sensor at a home improvement store and then rewired it themselves. I would rather just rewire the ones I have, so any advice on where to find a tutorial on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

 

[eanderso13]

I think some of the motion sensors you buy have adjustable ON time...if that's what you're looking for. On one that I have its just a small dial on the housing.

 

[azdude]

Hey YHJunkie - 2 questions: Are you just wanting to control lights (or something else)? and How long are you wanting it to stay on after it is triggered?

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

Hey YHJunkie - 2 questions: Are you just wanting to control lights (or something else)? and How long are you wanting it to stay on after it is triggered?

I want it to stay on 5-10 secs. The main thing I am looking for is that it has 10-15 seconds before it can be triggered again. I have lots of people going through or standing in front of props and they keep triggering it in the "test" function. It would be cool if I could set it up for a longer off time before it retriggers. Anything that I will plug into it will be 110.

 

[Dark lord]

Like one of these..... by then time you buy & build it these are pretty good for the price for $45
Flex ECT
They have a few cool timers & flip flop timers for pretty fair prices.

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

Like one of these..... by then time you buy & build it these are pretty good for the price for $45
Flex ECT
They have a few cool timers & flip flop timers for pretty fair prices.

That is pretty much what I am talking about. But, like someone else mentioned, you can but motion sensors that already have this function. I am assuming they are cheaper then $45 bucks. I already have 2 or 3 sensors so it would be cool if I could find a do it your self tutorial. I saw one before that was relatively cheap, but I didn't bookmark it. Plus I think other people would be interested in this as well.

 

[Meyers Madness]

I am not sure what type of prop you are trying to control but this is a new controller that has been getting some good reviews. EFX-TEK :: EZ-8 Touch Controller
And you could use this simple PIR.
PIR Sensor

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

I am not sure what type of prop you are trying to control but this is a new controller that has been getting some good reviews. EFX-TEK :: EZ-8 Touch Controller
And you could use this simple PIR.
PIR Sensor

I would love to buy the EFX-TEK controller. I think it IS an awesome product. I wish I had 10 of them. However I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars. I do however want to have an adjustable time setting for both the on time and reset time for a motion sensor. I know I have seen the tutorial I just can't find it again. So I turned here thinking someone might have seen something similar.

I ran my prop with a sensor on the "test" function last year and it worked. I just want to have it be more controllable as far as the on time and the reset time. All I am looking for is a tutorial on how to accomplish this using an existing PIR . The tutorial or how to that I saw showed how to rewire the circuit board and add what I think was a potentiometer. I do NOT want to buy a controller or a premade sensor. I understand how great all these products are, but I simply was trying to find a tutorial that I had come across but can't find now.

 

[Dark lord]

I remember that tut,but can't find it either.I got tired of the "test" ones, I use one of the newer type, the ones that are light switches pir sensor with manual on / off / & auto.
The auto has a setting instead of test 5 sec, this allows you to min trigger on 5 to 15 sec on or 5 min to 15min on. Has light sensitivity switch. Reset time is the only prob.

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

I remember that tut,but can't find it either.I got tired of the "test" ones, I use one of the newer type, the ones that are light switches pir sensor with manual on / off / & auto.
The auto has a setting instead of test 5 sec, this allows you to min trigger on 5 to 15 sec on or 5 min to 15min on. Has light sensitivity switch. Reset time is the only prob.

Yeah I have searched tons of combinations of keywords in Google and in the forums, but for the life of me i can't find the how to video. I remember it being fairly simple. So maybe i thought I could remember how to do it. I am hoping that if i keep this thread alive someone will stumble across it and know what I am talking about. I am not concerned as much about the on time as much as I am about the reset time. Thanks for the tip on the newer models.

 

[[email protected]]

Try these:
AUTOMAT3D Blog Archive Motion Sensor Switched Output Hack
HauntProject.com - Your visual source for Haunting How-To's

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

Try these:
AUTOMAT3D Blog Archive Motion Sensor Switched Output Hack
HauntProject.com - Your visual source for Haunting How-To's

Thanks. Yeah I actually came across both of those tutorials when I was searching. Since my prop runs off of 110 I accomplished the same thing by wiring directly to the outputs of the sensor. Which in effect accomplishes what both of those tutorials are showing. The one is how to plug multiple things in and the other is so you can run different voltages(which I don't really need). So hopefully those two tutorials can help someone else though. I am still hoping to find one on how to adapt the sensor so you can adjust the reset time.

 

[Dark lord]

this is the one i found,just accidently found the Tut site link it again that was posted on haunt project.
HauntProject.com - Your visual source for Haunting How-To's
Top left link on modifying a PIR.....

 

[hedg12]

You could use something like this to interrupt the trigger. That way you could still use the "test" mode on your sensor, but the relay wouldn't let the trigger get to the prop until the relay reset.

 

[frugal ghoul]

Yes I'm following this with interest, as well! You know who could help us...
Otaku, hopefully he sees this and chimes in.

 

[Otaku]

this is the one i found,just accidently found the Tut site link it again that was posted on haunt project.
HauntProject.com - Your visual source for Haunting How-To's
Top left link on modifying a PIR.....

DL, are you referring to the Quorum PIR hack? That's the one I posted a few years ago as part my $20 Prop Contest entry on the "other" forum. That PIR won't switch AC power per se, but comes with instructions on how to build a simple R/C timer that is triggered by the PIR, and that can switch the AC.
As to the PIR hack, you end up with two "off" time intervals, 30 or 60 secs. I use a number of those PIRs and the hack works well for keeping the TOTs from repeatedly triggering the props. There are other "off" time intervals available on the 4016 IC that could be used if the 30/60 option isn't suitable.

 

[Dark lord]

DL, are you referring to the Quorum PIR hack? That's the one I posted a few years ago as part my $20 Prop Contest entry on the "other" forum. That PIR won't switch AC power per se, but comes with instructions on how to build a simple R/C timer that is triggered by the PIR, and that can switch the AC.
As to the PIR hack, you end up with two "off" time intervals, 30 or 60 secs. I use a number of those PIRs and the hack works well for keeping the TOTs from repeatedly triggering the props. There are other "off" time intervals available on the 4016 IC that could be used if the 30/60 option isn't suitable.

Yep,i thought that was yours...... it was the only one i remembered that had to do with a "timed' off for prop reset delay.
I was figuring that this would be wired to a relay block for 110ac usage......
But you Da man to really answer this for yardhauntjunkie & the rest of us !
Thanx Otaku-DL

 

[Otaku]

DL, thanks for the vote of confidence LOL! It did occur to me that you could use a simple R/C timer and relay to lock out the power to the PIR sensor until you want to re-enable triggering. This relay would be switching low voltage, probably ~24VDC, so it's a safe hack. It would mean attaching a very small perf board to the sensor housing, we're talking about just a few components - a 100uF cap, couple of resistors, diode, relay, MOSFET, maybe a voltage regulator, terminal blocks for the wiring attachment and a small PC-mount pot to adjust the reset time. The relay could draw it's power from the PC board in the sensor; just have to find a +24VDC point and ground. As long as the Test mode "on" time is suitable, you'd have what you need. The circuit is easy to build and I already have a schematic for it. R/S sells some small perf boards that can fit all the parts. I'll look for a floodlight at some thrift stores and garage sales and see what I can work up.

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

DL, thanks for the vote of confidence LOL! It did occur to me that you could use a simple R/C timer and relay to lock out the power to the PIR sensor until you want to re-enable triggering. This relay would be switching low voltage, probably ~24VDC, so it's a safe hack. It would mean attaching a very small perf board to the sensor housing, we're talking about just a few components - a 100uF cap, couple of resistors, diode, relay, MOSFET, maybe a voltage regulator, terminal blocks for the wiring attachment and a small PC-mount pot to adjust the reset time. The relay could draw it's power from the PC board in the sensor; just have to find a +24VDC point and ground. As long as the Test mode "on" time is suitable, you'd have what you need. The circuit is easy to build and I already have a schematic for it. R/S sells some small perf boards that can fit all the parts. I'll look for a floodlight at some thrift stores and garage sales and see what I can work up.

That would be awesome. You are the man. The 5 second test on time would be fine in my application.

 

[darkmaster]

The best timers I found and use are Cowlacious Timer Products

These work great and are priced reasonably well.